It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Horizon League basketball is back on our screens. The league’s season officially began at 3 a.m. ET on Monday, and after a week of action, there’s already been plenty of fireworks. Here are some of the key wins from the week and some other notable results.
No team picked up a bigger opening-week win than Northern Illinois on Saturday. After falling to Grambling State and Tulsa earlier in the week, the Huskies blitzed Dayton in the first half, building a lead that got as high as 17. The Flyers didn’t roll over and eventually took the lead in the second half, but Max Weisbrod hit a 3 in the closing seconds to force overtime, and Northern Illinois prevailed there. David Douglas Jr. scored a game-high 27 points and Weisbrod pitched in 19 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. After the Huskies fell to Grambling on Monday to open the week, it felt unlikely that Matt Majkrzak would get his first win until week two, but his Huskies got it done.
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Darrin Horn’s team was without Ethan Elliott in the opening week, but on opening day, it picked up a huge win over UTEP. In Elliott’s absence, true freshman Willie Foster was inserted into the starting lineup and made a major impact. He and Noah Pagotto each posted double-doubles. Foster scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Pagotto poured in 19 points and 12 rebounds. La Salle transfer Eric Acker was also crucial in the win, taking control of the game with 16 points and five assists. The Norse made just four 3-pointers but shot 30-for-33 from the free-throw line.
St. Bonaventure isn’t going to be an NCAA Tournament team or finish near the top of the Atlantic 10, but this was a quality win for the Penguins. This offseason, Ethan Faulkner emphasized getting better offensively because he thought limitations there held his team back. During Monday’s opener, the offensive improvement was evident. VMI transfer Linus Holmstrom was brought to the program for his 3-point shooting, and that was what won the game for Youngstown State. His 26 points and numerous big shots down the stretch helped the Penguins post a 47-point second half. A trip to Ohio State later in the week was a tall ask, so getting a win to start the season was huge.
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The defending champs looked like they hadn’t lost a step through one week. To begin its title defense, Wright State hammered Air Force at a sold-out Nutter Center. The game was essentially over before it started. The Raiders were up double digits before the first media timeout and, by halftime, Wright State had scored 60 points already. Dominic Pangonis, one of the more underrated players in the league, made all eight of his attempts, and all six from three, in the first half, scoring 27 points. He finished the game with 30, with just one missed shot. The Falcons offered essentially no resistance, and Clint Sargent’s team started the season scorching hot.
IU Indy opened its season with a game against a non-Division I opponent. Saturday was the first matchup between Division I opponents at the brand-new James T. Morris Arena, and the Jaguars snagged a nice win. Year one was a roller coaster for Ben Howlett, but he’s confident he has a team built to play The System. It showed Saturday. With eight minutes to play, UT Martin led 64-51, but IU Indy just kept chipping away and wearing the Skyhawks down. Gus Etchison was the star for the Jaguars, scoring 24 points, including the two free throws that gave his team a 75-74 lead with 16 seconds remaining. There’s still a long way for IU Indy to go, but this win was an early indicator of improvement.
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Doug Gottlieb’s squad played at St. Thomas last season and trailed 50-26 at the break before losing 80-61. To close opening week, Green Bay went back to Lee & Penny Anderson Arena and left with a victory. Four of five starters scored in double figures, once again led by Ne’quan Brown, who had 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Jeremy Lorenz gave the Phoenix problems with 20 points of his own, getting to the charity stripe 11 times. Only two players logged double-figure minutes off the bench for Green Bay, but 13 players saw the floor, showcasing the depth Gottlieb has at his disposal.
Oakland kicked off its absurd nonconference slate at No. 16 Michigan before playing a back-to-back out west against Stanford and UC Santa Barbara. The Golden Grizzlies went 0-3, but Chris Fields Jr. and Nassim Masshour both impressed in each game.
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Robert Morris had a tough first week, losing 86-49 to Nevada and 79-56 to UIC. KJ Garris Jr. scored 16 and 11 points in the two games but he is the only Colonial to have scored double figures this season. The depth was a question entering the year for Robert Morris but it hasn’t received production from its top guys yet either.
Northern Kentucky picked up its second win of the season on Wednesday against South Dakota, winning 102-94. Foster scored 22, Pagotto had 30, and Eric Acker had a 22-point, 12-assist double-double. On Friday, the Norse lost 104-67 to Texas A&M, but Foster scored another 23 points.
Wright State, on the back of its dominant win over Air Force, hosted Florida Atlantic on Friday and posted a similar result. CJ O’Hara led the way with 24 points in the Raiders’ 97-71 win over the Owls. Chadlyn Traylor added 20 and Andrea Holden scored 19 as well.
